We will not allow anyone to sell Ukraine to pro-Russian clans again - Korban

There were neither riots nor terrorist attacks and several dozen Russian agents were neutralized in the region while ex-governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region Ihor Kolomoiskyi’s team exercised leadership.

Former first deputy head of the Dnipropetrovsk Regional State Administration Hennadii Korban stated on his page on Facebook, Censor.NET reports.

"Criminal cases were initiated against us after we organized Euromaidan in Dnipropetrovsk during the Revolution of Dignity and our businesses were checked (by different government agencies - Ed.). When Yanukovych fled, and Russia invaded Crimea, there were 106 deputies from the Party of Regions out of 140 in the Dnipropetrovsk Regional Council and one of the main agents of Russian influence Oleh Tsariov, the communists and the members of the Party of Regions unfolded the pro-Russian campaign. There were neither the police nor the courts nor the prosecution nor the SBU - these agencies were mostly headed by the people appointed by the Party of Regions who did their best to prevent our work, so that we were not able to solidify.

"It was the first time when Ihor Kolomoiskyi invited me to participate in the most important and absolutely non- profitable project - our homeland and Dnipropetrovsk protection from war and occupation. No one could help us, and we went to war against saboteurs and terrorists with the forces that were available. It was a few dozen people from our security firms with pump shotguns, as well as dozens of guys from the "Right Sector," which our fellow-countryman Dmytro Yarosh unexpectedly brought directly from Maidan, who immediately came to the defense of the Dnipropetrovsk region.

"The local government did not work, the budget was empty, and we had to do everything on our own. We fought without weapons, barehanded, while we had to repulse the terrorists, and prepare the army for war. We were living in the offices for months. We did not hold tenders when we needed to fuel tanks, buy all the necessary spare parts, food and supplies," Korban wrote.

According to him, there were "no pro-Ukrainian authorities in Dnipropetrovsk at all" except the team of Kolomoiskyi.

"Yes, we accepted any help. And we required support from everyone. Was it legal? Were all our comrades-in-struggle law obedient citizens? Of course not! We were at war, and the only thing important for us was whether one could count on the person in combat.

"Do not ask me what decision I had to make. We were doing things that are not usually written in the history books. We were detaining and neutralizing Russian agents on our own. We searched for weapons because neither the army nor the police provided volunteer squads with weapons until the middle of May. We bypassed all laws that prevented us to carry on war. We also created the first volunteer detachments, the first volunteer battalions in the country. And the soldiers departed to fulfill tasks immediately, even without zeroing their assault rifles, just after they received weapons. We were saving the country. And we have fulfilled our duty," Korban stressed.

He also reminded that there were neither riots nor terrorist attacks and several dozen Russian agents were neutralized in the region while ex-governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region Ihor Kolomoiskyi's team exercised leadership.

"The Security Service arrested three subversive groups that planned attempts upon the lives of the regional state administration officials - they intended to shoot us down, to blow us up. We repulsed all the attacks. We did not expect gratitude from the government, because we fought not for money, but for our country," the former deputy Governor of Dnipropetrovsk region wrote.

Korban also insisted in his statement that the Kolomoiskyi's team did not have time to make money over the past year, and they only spend it by transferring finance either to the National Defense Fund or for specific projects to support the army and police. "We have not acquired any assets and did not participate in any auctions."

"What did we get from the government? Eight criminal cases were launched against me and our team and now they open new ones. Any criminal proceedings were initiated against those who tried to destroy the revolution, I mean Yanukovych's supporters Vilkul, Kuchma, and Firtash. They were enjoying life at the resorts, observing "neutrality", making money, and at the same time they remain clean. But we were at war and now we became enemies for many officials.

"We have cleared the Ukrainian land from the enemy. We made them afraid to cross the border of the region. We have established the basis for the deployment of troops of the entire operational command "South", and solved for them all the necessary issues without any calls from Kyiv. We have built perfect system of medical care and the system of evacuation of the wounded; we organized the delivery of ammunition and supplies of all kinds. Our region leads in mobilizing manpower and equipment as well as payment of taxes of all types in the entire Ukraine. We have demonstrated our ability to work efficiently through deeds.

I turned to Ihor Kolomoiskyi with the request to dismiss me from the office. I'm not going to take part in the restoration of the old vicious system where the honeypots for chosen people are created. I also would like to add that we are against the surrender of national interests in the energy, transport, and economy. We do not want to participate in the hideous corruption, which is again created by the efforts of certain high-ranking officials and leaders of certain parties," Korban wrote.

According to him, there is currently a record budget surplus of 2.8 billion hryvnia due to the efforts of the former governor of the Dnipropetrovsk region team.

"We have started to implement reforms in all sectors of the economy of the region. We have prepared the region's defense, and Ukrainian flags are fluttering over all our land. And I want to tell my fellow countrymen, I want to say to all the patriots of Ukraine: we will not abandon you, and we will not give up the fight as much as someone would like us to. We are staying with you. And we will not allow the events of the year 2005 to repeat, we will not allow anyone to sell Ukraine to pro-Russian clans again, and put us in dependence on Moscow once more. We will also not allow the Party of Regions and the Opposition bloc to have revenge.

We will prove that we are not going to give up and will go to the end for the sake of principles and for the sake of truth. We are no longer afraid after a year of war. We are leaving the government offices in his native Dnipropetrovsk but we remain patriots of Ukraine, and we continue the struggle," the ex-official concluded.

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